A HULL City legend has been jailed for two years for running an illegal brothel.

Former midfielder Chris Simpkin, who made 311 appearances for the Tigers between 1962 and 1971, was jailed at Bradford Crown Court after admitting the offence, along with money laundering.

The court heard Simpkin, 64, of Valley Drive, Kirk Ella, borrowed £25,000 to purchase the lease for XL Massage Parlour in Leeds Road, Bradford, in November 2002.

The brothel included a "domination" and "fantasy" room, bringing in up to £2,000 a week, and even had its own website.

Takings were deposited via a chute into a safe, to which Simpkin had the only key.

From June 2005, police repeatedly visited the premises as part of inquiries into illegal immigration and people-trafficking.

Prosecutor Chris Smith said in April 2007 Simpkin – who played alongside City greats Ken Wagstaff and Chris Chilton – was given warning letters by police about running the brothel.

When police launched another inquiry, it emerged one woman had been sold to a foreign couple in London and found work at XL.

When the premises were raided again in November 2007, one of the prostitutes was found to be an illegal immigrant and she was deported back to Albania.

Simpkin, who also worked in the motor trade, was arrested and bailed, but the premises continued to be used as a brothel.

A further raid in January last year uncovered four women working there and records showed eight customers had visited that day.

On each occasion, Simpkin told police he was operating a legitimate massage parlour.

Passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said there was no question of Simpkin being involved in bringing women into the country or coercing them into prostitution.

He said: "Had it been the case you stopped after the first warning in June 2005, no more probably would have been said."

Simpkin pleaded guilty to charges of keeping a brothel between October 2006 and January last year and converting criminal property relating to the proceeds from the premises.

The court heard he still faces another hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act and could face losing his home.